In This Life, I Will Die As An Actress, Not As A Villainess [EN]: Chapter 133

I recalled the handshake I shared with Yoo Ha-young, playing Yoo Da-yang, in the script.

There, Yoo Da-yang and Yoo Ha-young chose to attempt to become one.

However, the ending in reality could be different.

Just like when Sang-seon died in reality while filming ‘Gwol-flower,’ unlike what was written in the script.

That’s why I couldn’t easily bring myself to answer either way.

But one thing was clear….

“Kang Ji-oh’s advice might be as important as the two people’s choice.”

“Kang Ji-oh’s advice?”

The writer widened her eyes as if my answer was unexpected.

“Yes. Kang Ji-oh was helping Yoo Da-yang with her treatment. And when Kang Ji-oh found out that Yoo Da-yang wasn’t the primary personality, wouldn’t the shock be as great for him as it was for Yoo Da-yang?”

“That’s true.”

“Because he is Kang Ji-oh, he might be able to come up with an answer for both Yoo Da-yang and Yoo Ha-young.”

“Oho….”

The writer was lost in thought for a moment.

Looking at her face, I decided not to answer any further.

Because meddling in the real story is the writer’s job, not mine.

Even if the content being filmed was different from what I experienced in the script, it still had its own meaning and value.

Because it’s an opportunity to express a different ending and its emotions.

Even if it hurts.

The writer silently rolled her pen for a while before putting it down.

“I’m glad I asked Sae-na for help. I think I’ve found a clue.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Then the writer came to a meaningful conclusion.

“Anyway… I don’t think everyone can be happy.”

I slowly nodded at that answer.

I wondered what the ending of this drama would be.

I couldn’t tell.

The writer and I looked at each other and smiled faintly.

* * *

That evening, in a small room at a bar.

As soon as the meeting with the writer ended, I came straight here.

“Oh, you’re here? Sit down.”

A familiar face waved and greeted me.

“Your drama is already generating buzz? It’s nerve-wracking.”

It was Seo Jae-yeon.

I chuckled at her familiar prickly way of speaking and sat down.

As soon as I finished the meeting with the writer, I received a message from Seo Jae-yeon asking to meet nearby.

-Let’s meet for a bit. No pretending to be busy. I’m busy too!

It was a very Seo Jae-yeon-like message.

I was so dumbfounded that I laughed.

As soon as I received the message, I pushed through my exhaustion, which felt like I was about to collapse, and headed straight to the meeting place.

Because I felt like seeing her.

I thought I would feel more at ease if I met her.

That’s how I arrived at the meeting place.

“I felt like I would feel more at ease if I met you.”

As if we were on the same wavelength, Seo Jae-yeon blurted out the same thing I was thinking.

I smiled slightly at Seo Jae-yeon and asked.

“Do they talk about our team a lot in your team too?”

Then Seo Jae-yeon ran her hand through her hair as if she was tired and laughed.

“That’s why I told you to join me. Why did you go to a place like that?”

“…”

I smiled silently and drank a glass of beer.

Then I asked again.

“How’s the filming going?”

“Good. How about you guys?”

“We’re good too.”

An awkwardness flowed between us as we asked and answered the obvious.

Then Seo Jae-yeon changed the atmosphere and smiled brightly.

“Did you get close to Lee Seon-ho?”

“Huh?”

“If you did, bring him to our gathering.”

“To our gathering? Why?”

“Because I’m curious. He’s good at acting too. Lee Seon-ho is like a goblin [a mythical creature known for being elusive and mysterious] in this industry. He’s reclusive. They say he’s not close to anyone.”

“Oh, really…?”

As I heard those words, I thought of Lee Seon-ho, who had a friendly smile.

Is he deliberately not keeping people around him?

“Judging by your expression, you must have gotten a little closer. You’re surprisingly sociable.”

“I have just as many enemies as I do friends.”

Seo Jae-yeon chuckled at my answer, and we clinked glasses.

Then Seo Jae-yeon revealed some new information.

“The directors are also having a huge battle of nerves.”

“Seriously?”

I had no idea about that.

“The two directors entered SCBS [a fictional broadcasting station] at the same time.”

I opened my mouth in shock at those words.

This rivalry was on a bigger scale than I thought.

“They’re already making a lot of noise about our two teams online, but it’ll be even worse after the teasers are released.”

“I guess so.”

“If a rivalry is established, there will be a lot of ridiculous noise.”

Seo Jae-yeon began to list the things I had been putting off thinking about because I didn’t want to.

I sighed deeply at those words and added.

“Then they’ll use me, you, and Min-hee to create a lot of media play again.”

I felt like I finally knew the real reason why Seo Jae-yeon had called me.

It was a reason that went beyond the feeling that I would feel more comfortable seeing her face.

Seo Jae-yeon drank a shot of soju [a Korean distilled beverage] and said.

“Even if we both seem fine, people’s hearts waver when the people around us stir things up like crazy.”

“…”

“So it’s not bad to meet like this.”

“Yeah. Thanks for calling me.”

“Don’t thank me. I didn’t just call you.”

Oh?

Then the door slid open and someone I hadn’t seen in a while appeared.

“Wow, our superstar actors!!”

It was Lee Seok-hyun.

I glanced at Seo Jae-yeon as I watched Lee Seok-hyun, who was loud from the moment he appeared.

Then Seo Jae-yeon drank another shot of soju and said.

“You have to use a megaphone in times like these.”

“What are you talking about? Are you saying I’m a megaphone?”

Then people started pouring in behind a bewildered Lee Seok-hyun.

They were the people I had met at the actors’ gathering.

I stood up in embarrassment and greeted the people I hadn’t seen in a while.

“Wow, you two were meeting?”

“That’s an unexpected meeting? I thought you guys were rivals, huh?”

“Didn’t you guys pull each other’s hair?”

Seo Jae-yeon smiled as she watched her colleagues throw playful remarks.

“We’re very tired because of people like you.”

Then the actors laughed.

Then Min-hee appeared late.

“Wow, Sae-na!! Long time no see!!”

Min-hee ran over and hugged me tightly.

Then people around us started laughing and pouring drinks.

“Oh, come on, everyone’s getting along.”

“They asked me a lot about it. What’s the relationship between Han Sae-na and Seo Jae-yeon like? And Sung Min-hee.”

“I just said I didn’t know. I don’t have to do that anymore, now.”

I covered my mouth in shock as I watched people’s reactions.

Lee Seok-hyun, who was standing next to me, seemed to have finally figured out Seo Jae-yeon’s intentions and was making a dazed expression.

There was a reason why Seo Jae-yeon had gathered so many people while she was tired and busy.

It was to block unnecessary rumors by using the mouths of the people around her.

In particular, the words circulating among the actors quickly reached the reporters.

Even if they were regularly meeting members, the number of meetings did not contribute to credibility.

Seo Jae-yeon knew that fact perfectly.

I sipped my beer, marveling at Seo Jae-yeon’s experience and tactics that had allowed her to survive in this industry for so long.

As I stared at Seo Jae-yeon, she sensed my gaze and looked at me.

Then she shrugged her shoulders with a ‘this is me’ expression.

Yeah, you’re amazing….

I really acknowledge it.

“Okay, everyone, cheers!! May anyone do well!!”

“No, may both teams do well!”

“If you’re going to fail, fail together~”

The actors stood up from their seats and clinked glasses.

“Cheers!”

* * *

The next morning.

Park Chan-gi was informing Director Shin Cheol-won of the results of the copyright agreement over the phone.

-…So I heard that Netmate decided to take the copyright.

“Hmm, so that’s how it turned out.”

Shin Cheol-won nodded.

“The Show Media people must have been a little embarrassed.”

Shin Cheol-won recalled the Show Media officials who were making a fuss on the set.

-Even so, they still can’t compete with Netmate.

“I guess so.”

-Show Media was only going to take the Chinese copyright, but Netmate put a spoke in their wheel. They said they wouldn’t sign the contract unless they handed over everything.

Shin Cheol-won laughed when he heard that.

“It’s a surprisingly fierce fight. Anyway, it’s good for us either way.”

-Yes. Please finish filming well.

“Yes. Thank you for letting me know.”

-Oh, right. I heard this.

Shin Cheol-won was about to hang up the phone with a satisfied smile, but he paused for a moment.

-I heard that the team also sold the copyright to Netmate.

“What?”

Shin Cheol-won frowned.

Park Cheol-gi chuckled over the phone.

-Then good luck.

“Aish.”

The phone hung up, and Shin Cheol-won put a cigarette in his mouth.

It was the last cigarette he smoked as a routine before going to work.

Shin Cheol-won frowned as if he was bothered by it the whole time he was smoking.

* * *

Back to the set.

“Netmate finally won.”

“Yes.”

I was hearing from the staff that Netmate had beaten Show Media and taken the copyright.

I sighed in relief inside.

Show Media was a company that would decline within a few years, and there was a high possibility that they would interfere with the filming in various ways.

“Netmate must feel like your parents’ home, Sae-na.”

A staff member said with a smile.

I smiled lightly at those words.

“I’m already getting used to it.”

Then the director came over from afar with a coffee in his mouth.

“Oh, Sae-na.”

“Director, good morning.”

“Yes. Let’s start filming the teaser.”

“Yes???”

The director delivered unexpected surprise news.

As of today, the filming was going smoothly and quickly past the 10th episode.

We’re already fast?

It felt a little hasty to shoot the teaser and poster at the same time at this point.

But then.

“The team is already filming quickly.”

“Ah.”

I immediately understood at the staff’s words.

It was as if they had spies planted in both teams, and the team’s schedule had been flowing in every day lately.

“We have to film and release it first to take the lead in attention.”

It seemed like the battle for viewership ratings had already begun.

I sighed briefly inside, but nodded.

Well….

Viewers’ interest starts to pour in as soon as the teaser is released.

Whoever takes the lead in that could be a big key to taking viewership ratings.

“We plan to release the teaser in three phases. We’ll use the filming source we’ve taken so far for the 2nd and 3rd phases, and we’ll produce the 1st phase as a whole.”

Eek.

I widened my eyes at the larger-than-expected teaser scale.

Are you going to produce another teaser video?

“It’s a concept teaser that will clearly imprint the content of our drama. We’re going to focus on the character of a multiple personality actress in particular.”

The director began to slowly explain the concept.

I listened carefully to the explanation.

“It will start with a scene of the actress looking at the camera and acting. Every time the cut changes, the character the actress is playing will change. Up to the point where those characters come out into reality and meet Kang Ji-oh. We’ll put this content within 2 minutes.”

“Wow, that’s a good concept.”

I was impressed by the director’s idea.

It wasn’t just a throwaway remark.

It was a brilliant idea that felt like it had been made with gritted teeth.

“Of course. The directing team made it overnight for several days.”

I smiled slightly at those words.

“Everyone is, how should I say it, burning up.”

Is it just me who has to do my part now?

It was time to renew my determination.

It would be much more difficult to digest a quickly made teaser script than to act out a script that I had read dozens or hundreds of times.

Besides, my weight and role are over 90% in the teaser.

This teaser will imprint the first impression of our drama on viewers.